Herbert POLLARD

30609, Private. b. 1891, Cullingworth d. Wed. 8th May 1918 (aged 27).

Another casualty from Watts Street, Herbert’s mother Hettie Robertshaw lived at 1, Watts Street and this was the location of Herbert’s childhood. When he had grown up, Herbert moved into his own house on Arkwright Street before he was conscripted into the Forces in January 1916.

After his training with the West Yorkshire’s he was attached to the 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regt. (the Green Howards) when he disembarked in France in the middle of 1917.

Surprisingly, Herbert survived the Spring Offensive of 1918 in which many of his comrades fell but died just as the German advance had ground to a halt and the Allies were preparing to go on the offensive themselves.

Employed as a worker at William Whaley & Son, Stuff Merchants, Herbert was not the only member of this work force to die, as two other employees at the firm did. Unfortunately they were George and Harold Whaley, the sons of the owner at the time, Joe Whaley.